The Golden Apples
by X-wolfgirl
Summary: Wrestling and mythology is a very nice mix. I hope you enjoy my first fic (If ya don't like it, don't hurt me please).


The characters of the story are:  
Atlanta- Lita(Amy Dumas)  
Hippomenes- Jeff Hardy  
Aphrodite(Venus)- Trish Stratus  
Diana(Artemis)- The Kat  
Apollo- Edge  
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Long ago a baby girl named Lita was was left on a wild mountainside because her father had wanted a boy instead of a girl. A kind bear discovered the tiny girl and nursed her and cared for her.  
And as Lita grew up, she lived as the bears lived: eating wild honey and berries and hunting in the woods. Finally as a young woman on her own, she became a follower of The Kat, goddess of wild things. Preferring to live on her own, Lita blissfully roamed the shadowy woods and sunlit fields.  
The god Edge agreed with Lita's choice to be alone. "You must never marry," he told her one day. "If you do, you will surely lose your own identity."  
In spite of her decision never to marry, Lita was pursued by many suitors. As men watched her run through the fields and forest, they were struck by her beauty and grace.  
Angry at the men for bothering her, Lita figured out how to keep them away. "I'll wrestle anyone who wants to marry me!" she announced to the daily throng that pursued her. "Whoever is so strong and swift that he can pin me will recieve the prize of my hand in marriage? But whomever I beat - will die."   
Lita was certain these harsh conditions would discourage everyone from wanting to marry her. But she was wrong. Her strength and grace was so compelling that many men volunteered to wrestle against her - and all of them lost thier lives.  
One day, a young stranger, wandering through the countryside, stopped to join a crowd that was watching a race between Lita and one of her suitors. When Jeff Hardy realized the terms of the contest, he was apalled. "No person could be worth such a risk!" he exclaimed. "Only an idiot would try to win her for his wife!"  
But when Lita did a moonsault and saw her go up in the air, and Jeff saw her wild red hair flying back from her shoulders and her strong body flying gracefully as a crane, even he was overwhelmed with the desire to be her husband.  
"Forgive me," he said to the knocked out loser being taken away to his death. "I did not know what a prize she was."  
When Lita was crowned with the wreath of victory, Jeff stepped forward boldly and spoke to her before the crowd. "Why do you wrestle against men so weak?" he asked. "Why not have a race against me? If I defeat you, you will not be disgraced, for I am the great-grandson of Test, god of the seas!"  
"And If I beat you," Lita asked.  
"If you beat me . . . you will certainly have something to boast about!"  
As Lita stared at the proud young man, she wondered why the gods would wish one as young and bold as Jeff Hardy to die. And for the first time, she felt she might rather lose than win. Inexperienced in matters of the heart, she did not realize that she was falling in love. "Go stranger," she said softly. "I'm not worth the loss of your life."  
But the crowd, sensing a tremendous race might be about to take place, cheered wildly, urging the two to compete. And since Jeff Hardy eagerly sought the the same, Lita was forced to give in. Witha heavy heart, she consented to race the young man the next day.  
  
In the pink twilight, alone in the hills, Jeff prayed to Trish Stratus, the goddess of love and beauty. He asked for help for his race against Lita. When Trish heard Jeff's prayer, she was too glad to help him, for she wished to punish the young huntress for despising love.  
As if in a dream, Trish led Jeff to a mighty tree in the middle of an open field. The tree shimmered with golden leaves and golden apples. Trish told Jeff to pluck three of the apples from the tree, and then she told him how to use the apples in his race against Lita.  
  
The crowd roared as Lita and Jeff croched at the starting line. Under his tunic, Jeff hid the three golden apples. When the trumpets sounded, the two shot froward and ran so fast that thier bare feet barely touched the sand.  
The crowd cheered for Jeff Hardy, but Lita was extremely fast and she rushed ahead of him and stayed in the lead. When Jeff began to pant, and his chest felt as if it were going to burst open, he pulled one of the golden apples out from under his tunic and tossed it toward Lita.  
The gleaming apple hit the sand and rolled across Lita's path. She left her course and chased after the glittering ball, and Jeff Hardy gained the lead. The crowd screamed with joy: but after Lita picked up the golden apple, she quickly made up for her delay and scooted ahead of Jeff.  
Jeff tossed another golden apple. Again, Lita left her course, picked up the apple, then overtook Jeff.  
As Jeff pulled out his third golden apple, he realized that this was his last chance. He reared back his arm and hurled the apple as he could into the field.  
Lita watched the golden ball fly through the air; and she hesitated, wondering whether or not she should run after it. Just as she decided not to, Trish touched her heart, prompting her to abandon her course and rush after the glittering apple.  
Lita took off into the field after the golden apple - and Jeff sped toward the finish line.  
Jeff Hardy won Lita for his bride, but then he made a terrible mistake: He neglected to offer gifts to Trish Strtus to thank her for helping him.(Whoops!)  
Enraged by his gratitude, the goddess of love and beaty called upon the moon goddess, The Kat, and told her to punish Jeff and Lita.  
As the moon goddess studied the two proud lovers hunting in the woods and fields, she admired thier strength and valor, and she decided to turn them into the animals they most resembled.  
One night as Lita and Jeff Hardy lay side by side under the moonlight, changes began to happen to thier bodies. They grew rough amber coats, and stiff, long claws. And when dawn came, they woke and growled at the early light. Then the thick tails of the two mighty lions swept the ground as they began hunting for thier breakfast.  
From then on, Lita and Jeff lived together as lions deep in the woods, and only the moon goddess could tame them.   
The End.   
  



End file.
